Posted March 10, 200916 yr An eighties theme with two new entries sampling or covering eighties tracks at the top. Firstly apologies for the unavoidable lateness of this commentary this week, normal service will resume next week. NEW 01 Flo Rida Feat. Ke$ha Right Round 29-year-old Floridian hip-hop rapper Tramar Dillard aka Flo Rida storms to the top of the chart on download sales alone with the first single from his forthcoming second studio album R.O.O.T.S. Prior to Right Round his biggest hit was his debut Low that peaked at No2 last April. Taken from his debut No29 album Mail On Sunday Low spent ten weeks inside the top10 and went on to become the 11th biggest selling single of 2008. Mail On Sunday spawned a further two top thirty hits in 2008 firstly the follow up Elevator featuring Timbaland which reached No20 and In The Ayer featuring will.i.am which reached No29 in September. The chorus of Right Round is based heavily on Dead Or Alive’s classic 1985 No1 You Spin Me Around (Like A Record). Dead Or Alive are a British new wave band from Liverpool fronted by Pete Burns who recorded seven top forty hits between 1984 and 1987. The song writing force behind Dead Or Alive was a former member: bassist Mike Percy who wrote and performed the backing track to You Spin Me Around with the strings being based on Richard Wagner’s classical piece Ride Of The Valkyries. You Spin Me Around was the produced by the legendary Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW) production team who notched up over 100 UK top40 hits and 12 No1’s between 1985 and 1990. Their biggest success came at the end of 1988 when Kylie Minogue and Jason Donavan combined on Especially For You, which sold well over 900,000 copies in the UK alone. It’s fitting then that the sample in Right Round has been produced by one of today’s most prolific songwriter/producers Lukasz Gottwald aka Dr Luke who with fellow Swede Max Martin penned Kelly Clarkson’s outgoing No1. Overall production is credited to non other than Timbaland and provides him with his first No1 production since producing Madonna’s 4 Minutes, which topped the charts for 4 weeks from April 2008. Ke$ha is a 21-year-old electro pop singer/songwriter from Nashville Tennessee who is currently working on her debut album which is being produced by Max Martin and Dr Luke. Right Round is the third No1 in as many weeks the last time we saw three No1’s in three weeks was three months ago when Beyoncé, Take That and Leona Lewis topped the charts in succession. NEW 02 The Saturdays Just Can’t Get Enough The second new entry in the top two; the first time this has occurred since The Ting Tings and Rihanna entered the top2 back in May 2008; belongs to Una Healy, Mollie King, Frankie Sandford, Vanessa White and Rochelle Wiseman aka British five piece girl group The Saturdays. Just Can’t Get Enough a cover of Depeche Modes’ 1981 No8 hit is 2009’s official Comic Relief charity single. While a No2 entry secures by far and away the biggest hit of their careers; it seems a little disappointing when contrasted with the fact that between 1995 and 2007 every official Comic Relief charity single has reached No1, with the last 6 entering at No1. The last Comic Relief single to climb to No1 was Cher, Chrissie Hynde, Neneh Cherry And Eric Clapton’s Love Can Build A Bridge, which moved 5-1- in March 1995. Depeche Mode are an electronic group formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. The initial line up was Dave Gahan, Martin Gore and Vincent Clarke who left after their debut No10 album Speak & Spell. Speak & Spell primarily written by Clarke contained Just Can’t Get Enough which was Depeche Mode’s third single and first top 10 smash reaching No8 in September 1981. After artistic differences Vincent Clarke left to form a Synthpop duo with Alison Moyet that December. There was talk of Vincent Clarke still writing for Depeche Mode he even offered them ‘Only You’ which the remaining members declined and instead became Yazoo’s first hit reaching No2 in May 1982. Incidentally a year later Only You was covered by an a cappella group The Flying Pickets who took it to No1 for 5 weeks including Christmas 1983. The B-Side of Yazoo’s Only You was a track called Situation which was sampled in The Saturdays debut single If This Is Love. Yazoo had split by 1983 and Vincent Clarke went on to form Erasure with Andy Bell and scored that elusive No1 with the Abba-esque EP, which topped the chart for 5 weeks in 1992. Depeche Mode meanwhile racked up 45 UK top 40 hits in their 29 year career reaching as high as No4 on the singles chart on 3 separate occasions with: People Are People (April 1984), Barrel Of A Gun (February 1997) and Precious (October 2005). The Saturdays’ debut single If This Is Love; which sampled Yazoo’s 1982 B-Side Situation which then reached No14 when remixed in December 1990; entered the charts at No8 last August. This was followed up by Up which peaked at No5 in October and more recently this January Issues reached No4. The debut album Chasing Lights which so far has peaked at No9 in January, is set to be re-released to include the radio mix of Just Can’t Get Enough a week on Monday (16th March). 03 03 Lady GaGa Poker Face Holding steady with another massive increase in sales after finally making the airplay top20 this week with Poker Face is New Yorker Lady GaGa. Arguably the biggest club smash of 2009 so far, Poker Face looks set to make a sizeable challenge for the top spot in the coming weeks having moved 30-26-28-24-22-15-3-3- to date since The Fame was added to iTunes. Should Poker Face reach the top spot it would be the first time that a second single/track that has been available on an album for more than a month has reached the top spot since Timbaland’s The Way I Are followed Give It To Me after Shock Value had been released in 2007. 01 04 Kelly Clarkson My Life Would Suck Without You Kelly Clarkson slips 1-4- after just a brief week at the top, thus becoming the first No1 single on downloads alone ever to be deposed on its physical release! My Life Would Suck Without You also becomes the first No1 single to slip out of the top3 after just a week since McFly’s double A-side Baby's Coming Home / Transylvania bombed 1-20- on 20th May 2007. Madonna’s Sorry was the last single to begin its chart career by moving 1-4- in February/March 2006. Rather than Kelly Clarkson significantly loosing impetus it’s more of the case of being pushed down due to the pressure of two new entries and a rapidly expanding Lady GaGa track. It may well be that Kelly Clarkson exploited a relatively weak week in 2009 terms with the average sale for a No1 single this year in excess of 70,000 copies. Rounding out the top ten: Taylor Swift’s Love Story also slips three places following its physical release under the pressure having moved 22-2-5-. T.I. Feat. Justin Timberlake Dead And Gone’s climb is at least for the moment temporarily arrested slipping 4-6- (58-47-30-17-4-6-). Lily Allen’s former No1 The Fear slips two places to No7 1-1-1-1-5-7- in its sixth week on the chart, while there’s a tenth week inside the top10 for Just Dance as Lady GaGa records a second successive week with two singles within the top10 3-1-1-1-2-2-2-2-6-8-. Barbadian singer Shontelle continues to slowly edge downwards with T-Shirt moving 8-9-, while burlesque girl group The Pussycat Dolls score a third week inside the top10 with Watcha Think About That sliding a place to No10 having moved 36-16-15-10-9-10- to date. 30 13 Akon Feat. Colby O'Donis & Kardinal Offishall Beautiful Senegalese-American hip-hop singer songwriter Aliaune Thiam aka Akon scores his 8th UK top twenty smash with the standout track from his third No21 studio album Freedom. The first since Right Now (Na Na Na) peaked at No6 last December. Akon exploded into the UK charts in 2005 with his debut single Locked Up which shot in at No5 that March. The follow up Lonely which featured ‘chipmunk’ style vocals for the chorus entered at No1 in May and spent a fortnight in control and went on to become the 6th biggest seller of 2005. Meanwhile his debut album Trouble reached the top spot twice in Spring 2005 fuelled by the success of the two lead singles. The third and final single from Trouble was Belly Dancer (Bananza), which reached No5 in August 2005. Akon returned with his second studio album Konvicted in the fall of 2006. The lead single from which Smack That which featured Eminem entered at No1. However the album released in the Christmas rush only initially reached No22 before peaking a month later at No16. Konvicted yielded four more singles in 2007: I Wanna Love You (No3), Don’t Matter (No3), Mama Africa (No47) and Sorry, Blame It On Me (No22). So it is quite surprising that Akon’s third studio album Freedom has failed to produce even a top5 single. Right Now (Na Na Na) reached No6 in December while various versions of I’m So Paid have flopped at No59 (album version) and No74 (with Young Jeezy). One suspects that had Beautiful been released as the lead single it may well have provided him with his seventh top5 smash however I wouldn’t rule out it making some more progress in 7 days hence. 17 14 Take That Up All Night Highly regarded Mancunian man band Take That fail to reach No1 with the second single (Up All Night) from an album (Circus) since Promises reached No38 in November 1991, which was taken from their debut No2 album Take That And Party. Given that the physical release could only facilitate a three-place climb it seems somewhat unlikely that Up All Night will make any further progress. However the Circus has sold in excess of 1.6 million copies to date so we can chalk this one down as a case of diminishing returns. For now it seems as if Take That can only match their astonishing 90’s single form with new material. The full chart run for Up All Night reads: 72-59-37-17-14-. NEW 21 [Chipmunk] Chip Diddy Chip London through and through, Tottenham born 18-year-old rapper and grime protégé of Wiley Chipmunk became the youngest ever recipient of a MOBO award. His debut single Chip Diddy Chip makes a solid debut at No21 this week with good support from radio1. It seems likely that his appeal outside the capital is at present somewhat limited and with huge support in the London media this is as close to a regional hit in 2009, as you’re likely to see. 25 24 N-Dubz Strong Again Camden Hip-Hop / R&B group N-Dubz’s third single Strong Again from the No11 album Uncle B reaches a new peak two weeks after its physical release as the BRIT’s effect wanes. 54-64-64-57-54-54-40-25-28-25-24- 55 29 Kings Of Leon Revelry The third single from; the Nashville born Followill brothers who comprise the Kings Of Leon and their fourth studio album; Only By The Night climbs twenty-six places following its physical release. Revelry seems to be living in the shadow of their previous two hits, which between them have clocked up a staggering 50 weeks inside the top50! Sex On Fire, which slides 16-22- having spent half a year (26 weeks) in the top23 since entering at the top back in September. Meanwhile Use Somebody slides 7-11- in its 24th week inside the top50. Revelry’s more modest chart run of 55-29- reflects the fact it has yet to wrestle attention and more importantly airplay away from them. 46 31 Lemar Weight Of The World Lemar Obika hails from Tottenham, London and is a singer/songwriter who came to prominence through the BBC One Music Talent show Fame Academy in the fall of 2002. Despite only coming third he went on to score a recording contract and duly went on to release his first single Dance (With U), which entered at No2 in August 2003 and remains his highest charting solo single to date. The follow-up a double a-sided 50/50 and Lullaby reached No5 in November of the same year. His debut album Dedicated reached a highly respectable No16 that December. Lemar returned in the fall of 2004 with arguably the biggest hit of his career If There’s Any Justice, which peaked at No3 and spent 7 weeks in the top10 3-3-7-6-7-5-8-. The parent album Time To Grow reached No8 in December 2004 and spawned two more singles the title track Time To Grow reached No9 in April 2005 and Don’t Give It Up, which stalled at No21. Lemar featured on the Band Aid 20 charity single Do They Know It’s Christmas, which spent 4 weeks at No1 in December 2004, selling over a million copies, and was by far the biggest seller of the year. His third studio album The Truth About Love entered at No3 in September 2006. While the lead single It’s Not That Easy reached No7 the remaining singles began to flop with Someone Should Tell You (No21) and Tick Tock (No45). 2008 saw the return of Lemar after a hiatus of 18 months with the single If She Knew which peaked at No14 last November and his fourth studio album The Reason which to date has only reached No41. Now to the second single: Weight Of The World, which climbs fifteen places to provide Lemar with a tenth UK top40 hit. NEW 40 Beyoncé Halo Beyoncé sees the third single from her current No7 I Am Sasha Fierce album enter the top 40 for the first time following on from If I Were A Boy (No1) and Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) (No7). Halo is physically released on 12/13th April so its early appearance bodes well for a fourth top10 hit in less than sixth months. Albums It’s an incredible 10th UK No1 album as No Line On The Horizon blasts to the top of the album charts. Here is the full list of U2’s chart topping albums that span an incredible 26 years: War March 1983 The Unforgettable Fire October 1984 The Joshua Tree March 1987 Rattle And Hum October 1988 Zooropa July 1993 Pop March 1997 The Best Of 1980-1990 & B-Sides November 1998 All That You Can't Leave Behind November 2000 How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb December 2004 No Line On The Horizon March 2009 Only three U2 albums have spent more than a week at No1, The Unforgettable Fire spent 2 weeks at the top in 1984, while the Joshua Tree 1987 which at the time was the fastest selling album of all-time also spent a fortnight at the top before being toppled by Now 9. However it was their last No1 album How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb that has provided their longest stay at the top of the album chart spending three weeks in control in December 2004. The Prodigy’s former No1 album Invaders Must Die slides a place 1-2- as does Kings Of Leon Only By The Night 2-3-. Lady GaGa; who has both the No3 and No8 singles this week with Poker Face and Just Dance respectively; climbs back up a place to No 4 with The Fame to just shy of its January No3 peak having moved 3-4-4-5-13-7-5-4- in the past eight weeks. Lily Allen’s It’s Not Me It’s You slides a further two places 1-2-3-5- to No5 as does Duffy’s Rockferry which has now spent over a year inside the album chart top40 moving 4-6- this week. Take That’s former five week No1 Circus climbs back up a place to No7 8-7- while as the BRIT’s effect continues to ease Elbow’s The Seldom Seen Kid and The Ting Tings’ We Started Nothing give away two places moving 6-8- and 7-9- respectively. Finally The Fleet Foxes self-titled No3 debut slides a place to No10. Next Week On the singles chart can Ruth Jones & Rob Brydon with a little help from Sir Tom Jones and Barry Gibb emulate the success of Peter Kay with this years Comedy charity offering Islands In The Stream? Flo Rida Right Round and Lady GaGa Poker Face look likely to finish the top3. Also out physically next week we have singles from: Pete Doherty, T.I. Feat Justin Timberlake, September, Oasis, Katy Perry and T2. On the album front can anyone topple U2 in seven days time? Contenders include: Annie Lennox, The Everly Brothers, Kelly Clarkson, Taylor Swift and Britain’s Got Talent finalist Faryl Smith. Edited March 10, 200916 yr by Ethan.
March 10, 200916 yr Ethan, your Commentary is very interesting, but I'm not sure what this part means:, Highly regarded Mancunian man band Take That fail to reach No1 with the second single (Up All Night) from an album (Circus) since Promises reached No38 in November 1991, which was taken from their debut No2 album Take That And Party.
March 11, 200916 yr Ethan, your Commentary is very interesting, but I'm not sure what this part means:, Highly regarded Mancunian man band Take That fail to reach No1 with the second single (Up All Night) from an album (Circus) since Promises reached No38 in November 1991, which was taken from their debut No2 album Take That And Party. I think he means it's the first time a second single from a Take That album has missed the #1 spot since their debut.
March 11, 200916 yr I think he means it's the first time a second single from a Take That album has missed the #1 spot since their debut. That's what I thought he MIGHT mean - but, it isn't so. Take That released SEVEN UK Singles off 'Take That & Party'. The first failed to Chart, & none of the other 6 reached No.1. "Do What You Like" (1991) - Flop "Promises" (1991) - No.38 "Once You've Tasted Love" (1992) - No.47 "It Only Takes a Minute" (1992) - No.7 "I Found Heaven" (1992) - No.15 "A Million Love Songs" (1992) - No.7 "Could It Be Magic" (1992) - No.3 Edited March 11, 200916 yr by zeus555
March 11, 200916 yr That's what I thought he MIGHT mean - but, it isn't so. Take That released SEVEN UK Singles off 'Take That & Party'. The first failed to Chart, & none of the other 6 reached No.1. "Do What You Like" (1991) - Flop "Promises" (1991) - No.38 "Once You've Tasted Love" (1992) - No.47 "It Only Takes a Minute" (1992) - No.7 "I Found Heaven" (1992) - No.15 "A Million Love Songs" (1992) - No.7 "Could It Be Magic" (1992) - No.3 Exactly... It's the first era apart from their debut where the second single didn't make the #1, which is why he mentions "Promises" making #38.
March 11, 200916 yr Ah! I get it now! Sorry! Take That have now spent 21 Weeks at No.1 on the UK Album Chart - equal with Queen, & 1 more than Oasis. U2 are on 14 No.1 Album Weeks - 15 if they are still No.1 on Sunday. The Top 3 - The Beatles - 174 Weeks, Elvis Presley - 63 Weeks, & ABBA - 57 Weeks. Madonna is on 28 - the same as Elton John, & Robbie Williams.
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